International Shark Attack File

Statistics of Shark Attacks on Divers

Last updated: May 28, 2013

The greatest percentage of attacks come from sharks that are between 5 and 11 feet in length. This is because the most common sharks in the waters where people dive are in this length range.
Last updated: May 28, 2013

SPECIES OF SHARKS IMPLICATED IN ATTACKS ON DIVERS (N=120)

Common Name

Scientific Name

Attacks (#)

Attacks (%)

White

Carcharodon carcharias

47

39

Tiger

Galeocerdo cuvier

11

9

Requiem

Carcharhinus spp.

8

7

Blacktip

Carcharhinus limbatus

5

4

Wobbegong

Orectolobus sp.

6

5

Grey Reef

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos

5

4

Oceanic Whitetip

Carcharhinus longimanus

5

4

Blue

Prionace glauca

2

2

Bull

Carcharhinus leucas

4

3

Sand Tiger

Carcharias taurus

4

3

Nurse

Ginglymostoma cirratum

3

3

Sandbar

Carcharhinus plumbeus

2

2

Wobbegong

Orectolobus maculatus

3

3

Blacktip Reef

Carcharhinus melanopterus

2

2

Mako

Isurus spp.

1

1

Porbeagle

Lamna nasus

1

1

Broadnose Sevengill

Notorhynchus cepedianus

2

2

Shortfin Mako

Isurus oxyrinchus

2

2

Caribbean Reef

Carcharhinus perezi

3

3

Bronze Whaler

Carcharhinus brachyurus

1

1

Lemon

Negaprion brevirostris

1

1

Leopard

Triakis semifasciata

1

1

Tope

Galeorhinus galeus

1

1

Positive identification of attacking sharks is very difficult since victims rarely make adequate observations of the attacker during the "heat" of
the interaction. White and tiger sharks are easy to identify and therefore are more commonly reported than other species. This table is skewed for
these two readily identified species.